www.yanceycountynews.com vTo be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.v Oct. 6, 2011 W Vol. 1, No. 39

Human waste litters UNBELIEVABLE!
local farmer’s land

A Yancey County farmer says a crew hired to clear powerline
right of way for French Broad Electric left behind at least
seven piles of human feces as they trimmed trees, possibly
making the ground unfit to grow crops for the market.
SEE STORY INSIDE

Ex-Mitchell commissioner:
Constitution at odds with
Judge Ginn’s security order
By Jonathan Austin
Yancey County News

Marvin Miller,
the chairman of the
Mitchell County Board
of Commissioners who
resigned to protest a
judge’s order requiring
his county to pay for
added security at his
courthouse, stood before
the Yancey County
Board of Commissioners
Tuesday to warn them
that their acceptance
of the order “can’t be
reconciled” with the
Photo by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News oath they took when
Former Mitchell County Commission Chairman they were sworn in to
Marvin Miller speaks with Yancey Commissioner office.
Michele Presnell Tuesday night after the monthly
See page 2

Autopsy report released
on Timothy Norton
By Jonathan Austin
Yancey County News

The formal autopsy
report for Timothy
Norton, whose body
was found in the Cane
River Sept. 2, has
been released.
According to the
medical examiner
a t Wa k e F o r e s t
University School of
Medicine, Norton, 54,

drowned but also had
a blood alcohol level
of .18 and suffered
heart trouble.
He also had
contusions on his
knees and scalp.
Norton had last been
seen alive at about
noon on Aug. 31.
The autopsy did not
suggest any foul play.

Police chief: Drug problem is ‘getting epidemic’
By Jonathan Austin
Yancey County News
Burnsville Police Chief Brian
Buchanan said Wednesday that the
influx and use of illegal prescription
drugs “doesn’t seem to be slowing

down” despite the best efforts by his
department and the sheriff’s office to
stem the tide.
“I think it’s getting epidemic,”
Buchanan said. “Of 100 true bills of
indictment” handed down recently by
the Grand Jury, “97 or so were all drug

related; almost all were pharmacological
diversion” cases.
“It concerns me,” he said. “We
continue to increase our efforts but the
problem doesn’t seem to be slowing
down.”
See Page 10

2

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Local girl aims for the big time
in the world of race car engines
By Jonathan Austin
Yancey County News

A Mountain Heritage
graduate has every intention to
attend the prestigious School
of Automotive Machinists.
Why is that newsworthy?
Well, maybe because this
student would be only the
third female to ever attend
the school that specializes in
the design and construction of
engines, blocks and heads for
drag racing.
Kendra Bradford says she
“grew up with cars” and can’t
imagine a better career than to
spend her days taking “a solid
block of metal and put it in a
machine and make an engine
block.”
A graduate of Mountain
Heritage High School,
Bradford says she really had
no idea while at Heritage what
she wanted to do with her life.
“When I was in high school
I really had no idea” what to
study.
“I went to Florida to school
to be a medical assistant,” she
said, but that just didn’t fit.
She never remembered
having an injection, so when
it came time to give and take
shots, “it turns out I was very
afraid of blood and needles,”
she said with a laugh.
That’s when her love of
the mechanical side of life
returned.
“I grew up in my dad’s body
shop. I grew up with cars.”
What did the guys think of
her mechanical skills while
in high school? “Some guys
thought it attractive,” she
admitted, but others weren’t
sure what to think. “My exboyfriend doesn’t know a
thing about cars. He’d say,
‘Why should I? Kendra knows
all about it.”
The school, located in
Houston, Texas, is known by
its acronym SAM. “It’s the
best in the industry. Once you
graduate they help you get a
job” putting your skills to use.

Kendra Bradford wants to be only the third female to attend the School of
Automotive Machinists.

The tout on the school’s
website seemed written
specifically for Kendra.
“If you have ever dreamed
about working for a top race
shop or building engines for
a living, you have come to
the right place. As the most
respected name in motorsports
education, SAM can give you
the formal training you need
to jump start your career. Our
graduates help power the top
teams in NASCAR, NHRA,
IRL, and CART to victory
every race weekend.
That, she said, is right up
her alley.
The catch, she said, is the
expense. “It’s more of a
private college. You have
to get your own apartment,
job, buy your food, and pay
tuition. It’s kind of difficult.”
So she is hoping to get
sponsorships from race lovers
who might appreciate helping
a Yancey girl make it in the
world of race engine design

and engineering.
“A friend of my dad
suggested” seeking
sponsorships, she said. “I said
it’s impossible, but he said
nothing is impossible if you
put your mind to it.”
Her father, Kevin Bradford,
owns a body shop in West
Yancey, but his website
e x p l a i n s e x a c t l y wh e r e
Kendra may have gotten the
mechanical skills to build
blocks.
“I have always been a hot
rodder. It’s an addiction I
got from my dad,” Kevin
wrote on his shop website.
The grandfather “still builds
hot rods at 70 for himself
and customers. That’s where
I get my old school train of
thought.”
And it’s where his daughter
is headed, if she has anything
to say about it.
Want to know more? Call
Kevin Bradford @ 682-1108.

More voices raised over
new courthouse security
From the front

Miller spoke during
the public comment
period of the meeting,
and said he wasn’t
coming to Yancey
County to besmirch
Judge Phillip Ginn, the
senior superior court
judge whose strong
r ec o mm e n d a ti o n s
led counties in his
district to add metal
detectors at the
courthouse doors as
well as other security
improvements.
“I have the
highest respect for
all of you,” Miller
said in addressing
t h e f i v e Ya n c e y
commissioners, “but
I cannot let this issue
pass.”
It isn’t the security
that bothers him, he
said; it’s the way a
judge acted as if he
had the authority to
tell elected county
leaders what to do.
“These are issues
of importance.
These are issues of
principle,” he said.
“I swore to preserve,
protect and defend
the Constitution,”
Miller said, and
acting as if they are
following the orders
of a judge appears to
let the judicial arm
of government usurp
power that is reserved
for commissioners, he
argued.
“Is that the
right relationship
between boards of
commissioners and
the judicial system?”
He said he felt the
judicial order may
have involved “threats
and intimidations;
threats of contempt
and possible arrest”
if the strongly worded
suggestions were not

implemented.
Holding up Ginn’s
instructions, he
asked the local board
to “read this order,
and then read the
Constitution” and try
to “reconcile such an
order.”
In other business,
Jon Silverman of
Micaville asked the
commission to get
the speed limit on the
Micaville loop set at
35 mph or below to
reduce the frequent
accidents that occur;
Bill Grover and
Andy Robinson joined
Miller in denouncing
the new security at the
courthouse;
Finance office
Brandi Burleson
provided the
board with budget
amendments to
cover overages in
the cost of the library
renovation, funding
for Church Street
Preschool, funds
for the recreational
grounds, and the
purchase of a camper
for the manager of the
county campground.
Commissioners
Marvin Holland and
Michele Presnell
strongly opposed
the camp gr ound
expenditure and
questioned funding
the private child care.
They voted against
the amendment, but
said they supported
the campground
funding. They both
said they couldn’t
support the purchase
of the camper and
questioned the
funding for the
childcare.
See more on the
commission meeting
in next week’s Yancey
County News.

EVERY DAY, your neighbors are calling, writing or dropping in our office to plop down $25 to
subscribe to the Yancey County News! Why? Because they say they’ve never had
a newspaper like this in Yancey County, and they appreciate it! (And we appreciate them!)
So if you want to subscribe, just fill out this form and mail it in!
YES, begin my subscription to the Yancey County News! (Out-of-county subscription submit $35.) Mail this coupon and your check
to: The Yancey County News, 132 W. Main St., Burnsville, NC 28714
NAME: _________________________________________________________
MAILING ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
TOWN: __________________________________ STATE: _________ PHONE NUMBER: ___________________________________

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 3

Opinion

Ray Rapp’s report from Raleigh

Since the special session ended two weeks ago
(on September 14), I have been on a five-day,
1400 mile “Listen and Learn” tour of the state
to meet with local leaders and assess the impacts
of the budget cuts on our schools, citizens and
jobless rates. Upon returning home last Saturday
(September 24), I embarked on the first of a
series of fall listening sessions around the District
beginning on Tuesday evening (September 27)
at the Maggie Valley Town Pavilion. At each
of the 23 stops on the statewide and the town
hall meeting in Maggie Valley, concerns about
the impacts of cuts to health care, pre-school,
K-12 education and our community colleges
and public university budgets were validated by
state and local officials, teachers, volunteers and
individual family members. A total of 51 House
and Senate Democrats took part in the statewide
tour with three Legislators, Rep. Becky Carney
of Charlotte, Earline Parmon of Winston-Salem
and me in attendance at all 23 stops.

Listen and Learn Tour

Exhausted, exasperated and exhilarated would
describe the way I felt at the end of the fiveday, 1400 mile “Listen and Learn” tour that
took testimony at 23 locations from Cullowhee
in the mountains to Wilmington on the coast.
At the first stop on Monday (September 19) in
Raleigh, we heard testimony from State School
Board Chair Bill Harrison who gave us some
sobering statistics resulting from the current
budget cuts: Since July 1, the beginning of the
fiscal year, a total of 6,382 education positions
have been eliminated in our state’s 115 school
districts: 305 were pre-K positions; 1,723.7,
K-12 teachers; 2,282.7 teacher assistants; 393.8
Instructional Support Personnel; 14 Principals;
124.6 Assistant Principals; 517.4 Central Office
Staff; 1,021.8 Non-certified Staff (custodians, bus
drivers, cafeteria workers).
Undoubtedly, the
most disturbing statistic given to us by Chairman
Harrison, and repeatedly heard throughout the tour
is that North Carolina now ranks 49th in the nation
in per pupil spending on K-12 education. (The
State is behind South Carolina and Mississippi in

per student expenditures.)
As we toured the state, we heard stories of
the impacts of the over 16% cuts to our state’s
university system that resulted in elimination of
4,519 positions at the 16 member institutions.
This is the biggest cut to higher education in the
history of the state. As a result, we were told about
overcrowded classes, reduced course offerings,
and cutbacks in library and support service
hours at institutions such as Western Carolina
University and Appalachian State University.
The Presidents at Richmond, Pitt, Martin and
Cape Fear Community Colleges testified about
the impact of the 10% across the board cuts to
their institutions. They have been forced to lay off
instructional personnel (814 positions) and impose
enrollment caps on many classes and programs at
a time when unemployed workers are returning
to retool and increasing numbers of high school
graduates are opting to complete their first two
years at their local community colleges.
Mountain hospitality was in evidence on
Thursday (September 22) when we spent the
day in the mountains beginning with a hearing at
the North Carolina Center for the Advancement
of Teaching in Cullowhee, where the staff is
grappling with a 50% cut in operational funds.
Next we visited Waynesville Middle School where
we heard from Haywood School Superintendent
Anne Garrett, Waynesville Middle School
Principal Trevor Putnam, Tuscola High Principal
Dale McDonnell, Bethel Elementary School
Principal Jill Barker, and Title I and Pre-K Director
Fred Tratham. Eloquent was Principal Barker
who pointed out that her school was named an
Honor School of Excellence last year—the highest
academic distinction —and this year’s “reward” is
3 fewer teachers’ assistants at the school; reduced
money for school supplies; higher enrollment
than in previous years; teachers will have to
pay for their own staff development to prepare
for implementation of the new, required CO RE
curriculum next year; and, for the fourth year,
teachers have not received a pay raise. Ms. Barker
asked, “What we don’t understand is why our
school is being asked to do more and more with
fewer resources than we have ever had. Why are
we being punished, not rewarded, for a job well
done?” Before leaving Haywood for hearings
at A-B Tech’s Enka Campus and Appalachian
State University in Boone, we visited Riverbend
Elementary School where Principal Greg Parker
told us about what has made it one of only 304
schools in the nation (public and private) to be
named as a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School.
(Riverbend’s success is tied in part to small class
sizes, highly motivated staff, excellent leadership
and a first-rate facility.)
The Riverbend “high” was tempered by the
Greenville “low.” Earlier in the week a special
education teacher in the Pitt County School System
met several legislators in private to tell us about
her situation: Two years ago she had 8 autistic
students in her class and a teacher’s assistant. As a
result of budget cuts this year, she has 14 students
in her class and no teacher’s assistant and she was
attacked earlier in the month and severely injured.
While she will undergo reconstructive surgery,
her concern was for her students, not the medical
procedure she faces. This is the kind of situation
that comes from cutting on average $290 per
student to each school system in the state.

Representatives Parmon and Carney with me at
the end of the tour in Durham.

Town Hall meetings
Effective leaders listen and that is why I am
scheduling a series of meetings around the
District to hear your concerns and respond to
your questions. About 30 persons attended
the first of these conversations at the Maggie
Valley Town Hall Pavilion on Tuesday evening,
September 27 and special thanks to Juanita Dixon,
Jan Pressley, Scott Sutton, Michael Sorrells and
Sylvia Blakeslee for hosting the meeting. The
next formal session is slated for Tuesday, October
4 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cruso Community Center
followed by a breakfast at Ferguson’s Store in
Fines Creek from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. on Thursday,
October 13 and another meeting that same day
(Thursday, October 13) at 7:00 p.m. in the Clyde
Town Hall. The last of these listening sessions
in Haywood County is scheduled for Tuesday,
October 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the Canton Town Hall.
This Saturday (October 1), I plan to attend the
Community Dinner at Crabtree/Iron Duff/Hyder
Mountain Center and will be available for informal
conversations. The formal “Listen and Learn”
sessions for Madison and Yancey Counties will
be announced next month and I look forward to
seeing you.

Around The District

At the invitation of Madison County Board
Chair, Deb Ponder, I had the honor and pleasure
of joining my fellow elected officials to recognize
Madison’s firefighters and emergency responders
by serving them a “thank you dinner” on Friday,
September 16 at Madison High School as part of
a 10th anniversary, 9-11 remembrance ceremony.
On Saturday, September 17, my wife Dorothy and
I enjoyed breakfast at the Bright Hope Methodist
Church’s Fall Festival at Ebb’s Chapel and on
Sunday evening, September 18, before leaving
for Raleigh, I stopped by Mars Hill’s “Music
and More” program for a brief visit. This past
week, I began a series of Monday lectures on
mountain history and culture for Mars Hill
College’s “Road Scholars” program (formerly
Elderhostel). On Thursday, I had the pleasure of
addressing Madison County’s Rotary Club prior
to meeting with Dr. Robert Bashford, Associate
Dean of Student Affairs for the UNC-Medical
School in Asheville and Dr. Jeff Heck, Dean of the
School, to review the progress of UNC’s program
for junior and senior level physician candidates
at the Asheville campus and to explore ways to
attract students through a cooperative arrangement
with UNC-A. That afternoon (Thursday) I was
among 61 current and former Mars Hill College
employees recognized for 30 or more years of
service to the institution. (I served 32 years as a
full-time employee.)
It’s been good to see so many of you over the
past month and thank you for the opportunity to
serve as your State Representative. Please feel
free to contact me at rayr@ncleg.net or phone me
at home at (828) 689-2214. If you prefer “snail
mail,” you can write to me at 133 Quail Ridge
Road, Mars Hill, NC 28754. Please be advised
that my Legislative Assistant, Meredith Matney
will be in the Raleigh office three and one-half
days each week (Monday through Thursday).

4 Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Obituaries
Lew Jessie Ayers

Lew Jessie Ayers, 55, a life-long resident of
the Red Hill community in Mitchell County,
went to be with the Lord, Friday, Sept. 30,
2011 at his home. He was a son of Rheba
Hughes Ayers of Red Hill and the late Charles
Ayers.
A truck owner-operator, Lew had traveled
extensively throughout the United States.
Over 30 years he visited 48 states and logged
more than a million miles. In the summer of
2010 he made his last cross-country trip, during
a summer vacation, visiting the Southwestern
deserts, the Grand Canyon, the California
coast and the High Sierras with his brother. He
was a journeyman, farmer and mechanic and
loved working with animals, caring for two
wolves since 1994. Lew suffered a debilitating
stroke in 2009 afterwhich his health steadily
declined. Lew was, at heart, a soft-spoken and
caring man who many times helped neighbors
during difficult times.
Surviving, in addition to his mother, are a
brother, the Rev. Dorne Ayers of San Diego,
Calif.; and nephews Jeremiah Ayers of
California City, Calif., and Dr. John Ayers of
Boston, Mass.
Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m.
Thursday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers
Funeral Home. A graveside service will be
held at 11 a.m. Friday in the Pleasant Grove
Cemetery.
The family will receive friends one hour
prior to the service at the funeral home.

Tammie Silver Edwards

Mitchell Baptist Church and was passionate
about the N.C. Baptist Children’s Home, of
which he was a representative for a number
of years. He was also a member of the Yancey
County Board of Education for a number of
years. His other passions included writing and
singing gospel music throughout WNC with
his family. His love and compassion will be
greatly missed by all who knew him.
Surviving is his loving and devoted wife of
43 years, Wilma Ray Huskins; his daughter,
Karen Young and husband, Bud, of Spruce
Pine; two grandchildren that were his life: Ben
and Ivy Rose Young; sister Joyce McGalliard
of Nebo and sister-in-law Betty Huskins of
Dysartsville. Several nieces and nephews also
survive.
Funeral service was Sept. 30 with the Rev.
Forrest Westall officiating. Graveside service
was in the Ray Cemetery on Blue Rock.
Pallbearers were Donald Loftis, Jack, Danny
and Harold Grindstaff and Tommy and Ronnie
Huskins. Honorary pallbearers were Hershel
Harris, Ken Young and Kenneth Hughes.
The family requests memorial donations be
made to the Baptist Children’s Home of NC,
111 Sneed Drive, Clyde, NC 28721-8468.

Freeman Thomas (Tom) Clark

Freeman Thomas (Tom) Clark, 72, left our
world but not our hearts on Saturday, Oct. 1,
2011, surrounded by a loving community of
family and friends. He is survived by his wife
of 42 years, Carol; a sister, Virginia Schneider;
and nieces Gail Childs, Lori Swift and Jill
Smith.
Tom served in the Army and proceeded
to complete his doctorate in Administration
of Higher Education at The University of
Michigan. Most recently, he served as a court
interpreter for English/Spanish for the Clerk of
Superior Court in Burnsville. For 15 years, he
was an adjunct professor at Guilford College
in Greensboro. He served as assistant to the
president at the University of the Valley in
Guatemala and was director of student services
at the University of Michigan.
A dedicated social activist, he was involved,
in many ways, teaching justice and building
bridges with people in Mexico and Central
and South America. He was a student of the
world, traveling widely. He and Carol lived
in Guatemala for three years and Mexico for
two years. Their hearts have been in Yancey
County for 23 years.
A memorial service is planned for a later
date at Celo Friends Meeting House. Donors
are uged to remember Tom by sending gifts
to Hospice of Yancey County, 856 George’s
Fork Road, Burnsville NC 28714 or Witness
for Peace Southeast, 1105 Sapling Place,
Raleigh, NC 27615.

Tammie Silver Edwards, 51, of Burnsville,
went home to be with the Lord on Oct. 3,
2011. A native of Yancey County, she was a
daughter of Eloise Brewer Harding and the late
Hal Silver. Tammie and her husband, Michael,
were owners of Prosperity Plants, and she
was director of housekeeping at Brookside
Rehabilitation and Care.
Tammie was a loving wife, mother,
daughter, sister and friend. She is survived
by her husband of 28 years, Michael Edwards;
daughter Sarah Edwards of the home; mother
Eloise Harding and husband, J. C., of Green
Mountain; brother Richard Silver and Olena;
sister Mecheel Stewart and husband, Mark,
all of Burnsville; nephews Jake Silver of
Burnsville and Keith Southerns of Greenville,
S.C.; stepsisters Nancy Silver and husband,
Marvin, and Linda Hughes and husband,
Danny, of Green Mountain; stepbrother Mike
Harding of Granite Falls; sister-in-law Bereda
Lovelace and husband, Jeff, of Asheville; and
several step nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m.
Saturday in the Chapel of Holcombe Brothers
Funeral Home with the Rev. Jeff Brewer will
officiating. Burial will be in the Blue Rock
Dean M. Brown
Baptist Church Cemetery.
Dean M. Brown, 67, of Burnsville, passed
The family will receive friends from 6-8
p.m. Friday at Holcombe Brothers Funeral away at his home on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011.
A native of Yancey County, he was the son
Home.
of the late Thurman and Eva Laws Brown.
Cecil D. Huskins
Surviving is his wife, Jacquetta Perkins
Cecil D. Huskins, 83, of Celo, went home
to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, Brown; daughters Deena Johnston and
husband, James, of Lexington and Nola
Sept. 28, 2011, at Mission Hospital.
A native of Yancey County, he was a son of Shade and husband, Stephen, of Burnsville;
the late Milt and Dora Williams Huskins. He sons Ricky Brown and fiancé, Nancey
was also preceded in death by three sisters; Turbyfill, and Noel Brown, all of Burnsville;
Edna Grindstaff, Estelle Huskins and Pauline four sisters: Lois Roland and husband, E.J.,
Long, and four brothers; Landon, Jack, Bill Grace Hensley and husband, Bill, and Eloise
Hensley, all of Burnsville, and Emma Jean
and Sherrill Huskins.
Cecil was a deacon and choir leader at Mt. Hunter and husband, Clarence, of Hampton,

Va.; two brothers: Benny Brown and Billy Joe
Brown and wife, Peggy, all of Burnsville; 10
grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
No services are planned.

Michael Joseph Rosenberger

Michael Joseph Rosenberger, age 47, of
Burnsville and formerly of Pittsburgh, Penn.,
passed away quietly following a courageous
battle with cancer on Monday Oct. 3, 2011.
A memorial service will be held to honor
his life on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 1 p.m. at
the Beinhauer Funeral Home in Pittsburgh,
then with graveside blessing and internment
occurring at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Mckees
Rocks, Penn.
Michael was born in the Pittsburgh-Greentree
area to Joseph and Eileen Rosenberger. He
attended grade school at St.’s Simon and
Jude, and then graduated at Chartiers Valley
High School. Slippery Rock University of
Pennsylvania is where he attended college
with undergraduate work in accounting.
Michael helped in the family-owned business,
once known as Delrose Motors, before going
onto his career path in retail sales. Michael
was a genuine, easy-going person who
possessed a personality that drew people to
him because of his laughter, love of life, and
warmth. His kindness and camaraderie were
well-known to all those fortunate to have met
him, and he often left a lasting impression on
people because of his sense of humor, fun,
and positive outlook on life. His courage,
faith, humor, and positive attitude never failed
him. Michael enjoyed NASCAR, Pittsburghbased sports such as football and hockey, and
frequent trips to Primanti Brothers when in
Pittsburgh. He had an adventurous spirit and
loved to travel, usually with a professional
camera at the ready.
This loving husband leaves behind to cherish
his memory a wife of 15 years, Melissa
Rosenberger; his father, Joseph Michael
Rosenberger; his sister and brother-in-law
Sandra and Ron Webb; his beloved nephew,
Cameron Webb; mother-in-law Mary Hill;
and sisters-in-laws Sherrie Hill and Regina
Dubinsky.
The family asks that you donate your
memorial gift to the American Cancer Society
at www.cancer.org with the designation placed
on cancer research. Condolences are welcome
and may be shared with the family at www.
beinhauer.com. Arrangements are under the
careful direction of Beinhauer Funeral Home
located 2630 West Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh,
Penn. 15216. Funeral Director Michael S.
Burns. Telephone number: 412-531-4000.

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 5

Medicare open enrollment is earlier this year

(NewsUSA) - Your health needs change from
year to year. Plus, your health plan may change
the benefits and costs each year, too. That’s
why it’s important to evaluate your Medicare
choices every year. Open Enrollment is the one
time of year when all people with Medicare
can see what new benefits Medicare has to
offer and make changes to their coverage.
There’s never been a better time to check
out Medicare coverage. There are new
benefits available for all people with Medicare
-- whether you choose Original Medicare
or a Medicare Advantage plan -- including
lower prescription costs, wellness visits and
preventive care. Take advantage of Open
Enrollment, and you may be able to save
money, get better coverage or both.

You may be wondering, what is the benefit
of having an earlier enrollment period?
Starting this year, Open Enrollment starts
earlier, Oct. 15, and lasts longer (seven full
weeks) to give you enough time to review and
make changes to your coverage. Also starting
this year, you will need to make your final
selection for next year’s Medicare coverage
by Dec. 7. This change ensures that Medicare
has enough time to process your choice, so
your coverage can begin without interruption
on Jan. 1.
It’s worthwhile to take the time to review
and compare, but you don’t have to do it alone.
If you typically use the December holidays
to discuss health care options with family or
friends, plan now to move that conversation

earlier. And remember that Medicare is
available to help.
Take a look at www.medicare.gov/find-aplan to compare your current coverage with
all of the options that are available in your
area, and enroll in a new plan if you decide to
make a change. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1800-633-4227) 24-hours a day, 7 days a week
to find out more about your coverage options.
TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
Review the Medicare & You 2012 handbook.
It is mailed to people with Medicare in
September. Get one-on-one help from your
State Health Insurance Assistance Program
(SHIP). Visit www.medicare.gov/contacts
or call 1-800-MEDICARE to get the phone
number.

Impact of running away is chillier than winter
(NewsUSA) - Between 1.6 and
2.8 million youth run away each
year in the U.S. The brutal cold of
winter is only one of the threats
that runaway youth will struggle
to overcome. According to the
National Runaway Switchboard
(NRS) 2011 Runaway Youth
Longitudinal Study, the long-term
impact on their health, economic
and legal outcomes as adults is
another significant risk.
“Long-term consequences
of youth running away should
encourage parents, teachers
and other adults to get involved
earlier to prevent a runaway
situation,” said Maureen
Blaha, NRS executive director.
“Hopefully, knowing the potential
consequences also deters youth
from running away.”
For adults who ran away
from home as adolescents, the
likelihood of having suicidal
thoughts increases 51 percent,
they are more than three times
as likely to attempt suicide, the
likelihood of them being a smoker
is 2.4 times as high, they are
67 percent more likely to use
marijuana, and they are 53 percent
more likely to report having a
sexually transmitted disease.
Running away doesn’t just

affect health -- it also impacts the
economy. As an adult, a former
runaway’s annual income level is
$8,823 lower on average and the
likelihood of being a recipient
of AFDC, public assistance or
welfare is 76 percent higher.
The negative effects of running
away don’t stop there. Adults
who ran away as adolescents are
approximately 2.5 times more
likely to be arrested, and they
are 99 percent more likely to
sell drugs. The key is runaway
prevention, and NRS offers a few
tips for parents to keep their child
from running away:
• Understand Your Child. Try to
sympathize with what your kids
are going through, and look at life
from their point of view.
• Discuss Feelings. Talk about
what it feels like to be a parent,
and encourage your children to
talk about their feelings, too.
When parents share their feelings,
children know it’s safe to share
theirs.
• Use Teamwork. Work together
to find mutually agreeable
solutions.
Find help and information for
runaway, homeless and at-risk
youth at 1-800-RUNAWAY or
www.1800RUNAWAY.org.

Enrollment increase credited to changes at Mars Hill

Successfully implementing a strategic plan for
the future of the institution--ahead of schedule-has paid off in a big way for Mars Hill College.
Enrollment of traditional students for the fall
semester is up eleven percent over last year, to
1,063. (The number of traditional students does
not include students enrolled in Mars Hill’s adult
and graduate classes. Those programs add another
247 to the enrollment.)
Officials at Mars Hill are encouraged by the
enrollment numbers, and hope that they mark
the beginning of a trend. “We’ve completed our
strategic plan three years ahead of schedule,”
said Executive Vice President John Wells, “and
I think the changes achieved through that plan
have had a dramatic effect on our enrollment. The
administration dedicated the resources to make
those changes happen, and with the hard work
of faculty and staff, put those changes in place.”
According to Wells, the lengthy list of

institutional changes effected through Mars Hill’s
strategic plan includes:
• optimizing admissions procedures
• launching a comprehensive program aimed at
improving retention of students
• redesigning the college Web site to be more
appealing to prospective students
• launching a master’s program in education
• using money from a CIC-Walmart grant to
strengthen services to first-generation college
students and to help sponsor undergraduate
research
• revising orientation to emphasize student
involvement on campus
• streamlining administrative procedures
• restructuring the academic administration
• hiring several new faculty positions,
particularly in entry-level courses, to maintain
small freshman classes.
Wells also said he believes that the recent hiring

of a new chaplain at Mars Hill, Rev. Stephanie
McLeskey, will help revitalize the religious
identity of Mars Hill, which has Baptist roots.
Looking to the future, he said Mars Hill
College will continue to make changes designed
to maintain the advantages of the college’s small
size, while increasing the quality and breadth of
its offerings.

6

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

UARA Racing

UARA racing well represented at Martinville Speedway

By Kassie Hughes

While the UARASTARS may not have
a scheduled series
event this week, that
fact does not keep
their drivers from
racing. A number of
current and former
UARA drivers will be
vying for the victory
at Martinsville
Speedway in the
Vi r g i n i a i s f o r
Racing Lovers 300
on Sunday, Oct. 9.
A l e x Yo n t z , a
former Virginia is for
Racing Lovers 300
winner, finished third
in the 2010 event and
currently sits seventh
in series points. Yontz
has tasted victory not
only at Martinsville,
but also at the other
crown jewel in
American short track
racing, Bristol Motor
Speedway.
“Winning at
Bristol was big. But
Martinsville, that’s
something else,” said
Yontz. “I look at that
grandfather clock
every day when I come
home. You know you
beat the absolute best
at Martinsville and
no one can take that
away from you.”
While Yontz will be
looking for his second
triumph in the most
prestigious event
in late model stock
car racing, current
series points leader
Brennan Poole and
last weekend’s winner
Garrett Campbell will
also be challenging
for what would be
their first grandfather
clock.
“It’s a prestigious
race at the oldest track
still on the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Schedule,”
said Poole, who
finished third in 2009
but crashed out of last
year’s event early.
“Just being there is
a dream come true,
but to win it, there
wouldn’t be words to
describe it.”
U A R A - S TA R S
teammates Scott

Brennan Poole and Scott Turlington will be on the track at Martinsville this weekend.

Turlington and Andy
Mercer will also
be at the track this
weekend, possibly
playing the role of
underdogs. Mercer
quietly finished 13th
in last year’s event,
the final car on the
lead lap. Turlington,
however, missed the
show after having to
run one of the four
heat races following
a blown motor during
his qualifying attempt
on Saturday.
“We had a really
good car last year but
had to start in the back
in the heat race and
that killed us,” said
Turlington. “We’ve
got new Marlowe cars
this year and the entire
Mercer team has done
their homework to
make both of our cars
fast. If we can qualify
good on Saturday and
either lock in or start
up front in the heat
races, we should be in
really good shape on
Sunday. It would be
huge to our program
for either of us to win
the race. If I had my
way, however, it’d
be one-two with me
beating Andy across
the line. He might
have something to say

about that, though.”
Other drivers with
ties to the UARASTARS who have
plans to enter the
event include twotime UARA champion
Matt McCall, 2010
Champion Coleman
Pressley, 2004 title
holder Jason York,
2008 Champion and
2009 event winner
Jake Crum, Adam
Long, Jesse Little,
Anthony Anders,
Harrison Rhodes, and
Michael Rouse.
“We really brag
on our drivers,
but Martinsville is
usually the true test
of who’s got their
stuff together,” said
Kerry Bodenhamer,
the UARA president.
“In 2009, we swept
the top three spots
and last year we had
three of the top five
finishers. Every year,
you have to contend
with at least a few of
our top UARA teams
if you’re going to
win. It really shows
how much of a
development series
we have become
and how drivers and
teams are able to step
up their games after
running with us.”
With at least 80

entries every year,
22 of the 42 starting
spots come from time
trials which will be
held on Saturday at
2 p.m. The other 20
spots are given to the
top five from each of
four 25-lap heat races
that will be held on
Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
The 200-lap feature
goes green at 3 p.m.

NASCAR Home
Tracks Radio, with
UARA announcer
To n y S t e v e n s a s
part of the broadcast
team, will have live
coverage of the events
from the Virginia
half-mile.
After the dust settles
from Martinsville,
the next stop for the
UARA-STARS will

be in the mountains of
Tennessee at Newport
Speedway on Oct. 22.
Fans can keep up with
the UARA on Twitter
(@uarastars) or on
Facebook under the
United Auto Racing
Association. For more
information on the
UARA-STARS, visit
uara-stars.com or call
(828) 692-3833.

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 7

Cancer Society announces new programs for Yancey County women

During the annual National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month this October, the American
Cancer Society is urging Yancey County
women to follow early detection guidelines for
breast cancer and to make healthy behavioral
changes to lower their risk of breast cancer.
An estimated 230,480 new cases of
invasive breast cancer and 39,520 deaths from
breast cancer are expected to occur among
women in the U.S. in 2011, according to the
American Cancer Society.
“As the Official Sponsor of Birthdays,
the American Cancer Society wants women
to experience the benefits of choosing to
put their health first,” said Kathlene Stith,
Community Health Advisor Manager at the
American Cancer Society. “Women can take
action and put their personal breast health first
to stay well, fight breast cancer and save lives.
Thanks in part to early detection and improved
treatment, more than 2.5 million breast cancer
survivors will celebrate a birthday this year.”
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer
death in women, second only to lung cancer.
The society is reminding women 40 and older
to have a yearly mammogram and clinical
breast exam. Also, the Society recommends
that women ages 20 to 39 receive a clinical
breast exam once every three years. The
five-year survival rate is 98 percent for breast
cancer that is diagnosed in the earliest stages.
In 2008 only 40 percent of Yancey County
women with Medicare got their mammogram.
“We believe that nothing should stand in the
way of women finding breast cancer early
when it is most treatable,” Stith said. The
society is starting a new program to help
women access mammograms and other
lifesaving screenings. The new Community
Health Advisor (CHA) program will recruit
and train women to educate and navigate their

In 2008 only 40 percent
of Yancey County
women with Medicare
gottheirmammogram.
community members to screenings for breast,
cervical and colorectal cancer. This program
will start recruiting volunteers this November.
Contact Stith at 675-0305 or kathlene.stith@
cancer.org for more information.
The Society offers newly diagnosed
women and those living with breast cancer a
variety of programs and services to help them
in their breast cancer experience. There is no
limit to the number of Yancey County residents
we can serve through these programs.
Reach to Recovery helps newly diagnosed
patients cope with their breast cancer
experience. Reach to Recovery volunteers
offer the unique understanding, support, and
hope from the perspective of someone who
has survived breast cancer. Local Burnsville
residents are some of the wonderful Reach to
Recovery volunteers helping local women find
the support they need.
To have a Reach to Recovery volunteer
contact you, call 1-888-227-6333.
The Look Good…Feel Better program
helps all cancer patients manage the physical
side effects of treatment. Patients gain beauty
techniques to help improve their self-esteem
and quality of life, but also a sense of support,
confidence, courage and community with other
cancer patients in the program. Call the ACS
Asheville office at 828-254-6931 to find a
class near you.
The Yancey County’s Cancer Resource

Room provides free wigs, bras and prosthetics
from the American Cancer Society and is located
at the Yancey County Health Department.
Please call Stith for an appointment.
Women can reduce their risk of breast
cancer by taking additional steps to stay well
by maintaining a healthy weight, eating a
well-balanced diet, and engaging in physical
activity for at least 30 minutes on five or
more days of the week. Also, limiting alcohol
consumption can reduce breast cancer risk –
one or more alcoholic beverages a day may
increase risk.
In addition to helping women stay well
and get well, the American Cancer Society
has a long history of commitment to finding
cures for breast cancer. The Society has
invested more on breast cancer research than
on any other cancer, and has played a part
in many of the major breast cancer research
breakthroughs in the past century, including
the discoveries that led to the development of
Tamoxifen and Herceptin.
Stith said the American Cancer Society
and its affiliate advocacy organization, the
American Cancer Society Cancer Action
NetworkSM (ACS CAN), continue to fight
back against breast cancer by engaging in
activities to increase funding for both the
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early
Detection Program (NBCCEDP) and North
Carolina’s Breast and Cervical Cancer
Program (NC BCCCP) that provides lowincome, uninsured and underinsured Yancey
County women access to mammograms. If
you are a Yancey County resident in need of
BCCCP assistance, contact the Yancey County
Health Department: 828-682-6118.
To learn more about the American Cancer
Society or to get help, call anytime, day or
night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

People stop us to ask: ‘Do you deliver?’

WE DO! EVERY WEEK!

Our team covers hundreds of miles
of Yancey County roads - from
Busick to Indian Creek to Green
Mountain. We’ll bring the paper
to you, too!
Just call 678-3900 to find out
how to start your subscription!

8

OCT. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

‘We won playing Mountain
By Jonathan Austin
Yancey County News
Down by 17 points late in
the third quarter, Mountain
Heritage turned to their seniors
to make or break the season.
They made it as the team
recovered two on-side kicks
and scored 20 points to defeat
Owen with one of the most
unforgettable, come-frombehind efforts in school history.
“We had every chance in the
world to quit and you never
did,” Heritage Coach Joey
Robinson told players after the
game. “I’m as proud as I’ve
ever been. I told you something
great was going to happen.”
How did the Cougars win?
“We won playing Mountain
Heritage football,” Robinson
said, with the defense and
offense - with several players
pulling duty on both sides of
the line of scrimmage - held on
and punished the visitors.
Owen was up 27-10 late in
the third quarter and it appeared
they were headed for a happy
ride back to Swannanoa as
Gerald Cruz closed out their
last score with a 33-yard field
goal.
But Robinson and his
coaching staff wouldn’t let
the Cougars quit. They felt
they had worn Owen down
on the line, and when Jackson
Young took the ball in for a
touchdown with 5:22 to go, the
homecoming crowd could feel
the momentum shift from the
visitors back to the near side
of The Pit.
The Cougars recovered a
beautiful onside kick - yes,
they had practiced those - then
Austin Rice bullied the ball
down the field and Sam Howell
ran it in.
The Cougars wanted the
two-point conversion, but
Owen committed back-to-back
penalties that helped move the
ball half the distance to the goal
twice, setting up Rice’s run for
the two points.
Trailing 27-24, Isreal Magana
again pooched the kick-off,
which was smothered by Ben
Rice.
In his post-game talk, Coach
Robinson credited Austin Rice
with stepping forward to make
his mark.
“A minute and 30 seconds to
go, no time outs, and he said,
‘Guys, if we get the ball back,
give it to Austin Rice.’”
Rice delivered, taking a
handoff from Howell and
scooting right 44 yards for a
touchdown to give the Cougars
the lead. But the extra point

was wide and Heritage - up
only by three - kicked the ball
to Owen with 1:22 to go in the
game.
Owen went for it all with
a long pass down the home
sideline, where Cougar senior
Seth McIntosh was shadowing
the Owen receiver. The ball
bobbled and McIntosh threw
his body horizontal, arms
outstreched, to come up with
a seemingly unbelievable
interception to seal the
Warhorses fate. “I just reached
out and grabbed it and there it
was,” a grinning McIntosh said
after the game.
“I’ve been coaching a long
time,” Robinson said in the
post-game huddle, and looking
at Rice, he said: “That may be
one of the best leadership jobs
I’ve ever seen.”
After managing just 65 yards
of offense in the first half,
Mountain Heritage ended the
game with over 300 yards
rushing.
“We wore them down and
we took it over,” Robinson
told the team. Looking around,
seemingly amazed, he said: “I
just love every single one of
you guys. What an effort.”
A key, the coach later said,
was that “we just did not quit.
We ran a lot of hurry-up offense,
and I think in the fourth quarter
we wore them out a little bit
and caught them off guard, and
did a little bit of what they do.”
Those no-huddle adjustments
were critical for the offense,
he said. “Coach (Kenny) Ford
does a great job of calling in
plays from the sidelines, and
we didn’t want him to get the
chance to set his defense,”
Robinson said.
“Our kids just kept fighting.
I can’t say enough.”
And what did it mean for
Mitchell to beat Polk Friday
night? “It’s great for us,” Coach
Robinson said. “It puts us right
in the race for 2A, and puts us
in the race for the conference.
I’m tickled to death that we’re
in it again.”
The Cougars travel to
Thomas Jefferson Friday in
Mooresboro.
According to the CitizenTime s , “ T h e R u t h e r f o r d
County-based Gryphons are
1-28 the past three years and
0-6 against WNC competition
this season.”
The C-T picked Heritage to
win by 21.
Thos. Jefferson is located
south of U.S. 74 near Forest
City.

Heritage football’

OCT. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 9

Photos by Jonathan Austin

10

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Chief sees how drug addictions are ‘tearing families apart’ in Yancey
From the front

Buchanan’s
comments came after
a series of felony drug
arrests in the county,
including the arrest
of an 81-year-old
resident.
Arrested were:
• Briton Lee Chaney,
26, of Buttersop Road,
Burnsville, on four
counts of trafficking
in opium or heroin
(Hydrocodone);
felony possession of
a Schedule II drug;
possession with intent
to sell, manufacture or
deliver a Schedule II
drug (Hydrocodone);
maintaining a vehicle\
dwelling place for
the sale of controlled
substances, and
simple possession
of Schedule II
(Hydrocodone).
• Nathan Murph
Angel, 47, of English
Branch, Burnsville,
on two counts of
possession with intent
to sell, manufacture or
deliver a Schedule II
drug (morphine); two
counts of possession
of a Schedule II
drug (morphine),

two counts of sale or
delivery of a Schedule
II drug (morphine);
and maintaining a
vehicle\ dwelling
place for the sale of
controlled substances;
• Wi l l i a m J o h n
McMahan,18, of
North Bend Road: on
one count, possession
of a schedule VI
drug (marijuana),
possession with intent
to sell, manufacture or
deliver a Schedule VI
drug (marijuana), sell
or deliver a Schedule
VI drug (marijuana),
maintaining a vehicle\
dwelling place for
the sale of controlled
substances;
• H o l l y Te r e e s
Caravano, 26, of
Ransom Silvers
Road, Burnsville,
on three counts of
simple possession of
a Schedule II drug
(Oxycodone), three
counts of possession
with intent to sell,
manufacture or deliver
a Schedule II drug
(Oxycodone), three
counts of maintaining
a vehicle\ dwelling
place for the sale of

controlled substances,
two counts of sell or
deliver a Schedule II
drug (Oxycodone),
simple possession
of Schedule IV
controlled substance
(Alprazolam),
• Edd Robinson,
81, of Rock Creek
Road, Burnsville, on
a charge of possession
with intent to sell,
manufacture or
deliver a Schedule II
drug (Endocet),
Possession of a
Schedule II drug
(Endocet, sell or
deliver a Schedule
II drug (Endocet),
maintaining a vehicle\
dwelling place for
the sale of controlled
substances;
• Michael Dale
Carroll, 43, of Possum
Trot Road, Burnsville,
on four counts of
trafficking in opium
or heroin (Meperidine
Hydrochloride), two
counts of possession
with intent to sell,
manufacture or
deliver a Schedule
II drug (Meperidine
Hydrochloride), two
counts of possession

A Yancey County
farm family is upset
because seven piles
of human excrement
were discovered on
their farmland soon
after a crew hired
to clear the electric
power line right-ofway had cut their way
across the property.
The feces was on
the ground, covered
with paper towels
and wiping paper.
The piles were very
close to the farm’s
shitake mushroom
growing area, and

approximately 150
feet off from the right
of way.
A member of the
property owner ’s
family immediately
took photographs
of the feces when it
was discovered to
document how close it
was to the mushroom
area.
“It’s
very
frustrating,” said
t h e f a r m e r. T h i s
newspaper is
choosing to not
identify the farmer
after consultation
with county and state
agriculture officials.

“The least they could
do is bury it,” the
farmer said.
In an economic
climate where
farmers are still trying
to rebound from the
loss of the lucrative
tobacco crop, the
exposure of crop
land to human feces
is troubling, officials
said, and they said
it could be a threat
to the health of the
community.
Dr. Ben Chapman,
a professor in food
safety at N.C. State
U n i v e r s i t y, s a i d
agriculture agencies
and farmers work “to
eliminate as much
human feces” from
the food chain as
possible. “It definitely
increases the risk of
food-borne illness”
such as salmonella,
E.Coli and other
dangerous pathogens
See Page 12

of a Schedule II
drug (Meperidine
Hydrochloride), two
counts of possession
with intent to sell,
manufacture or
deliver a Schedule
II drug (Meperidine
Hydrochloride), two
counts of sell or
deliver a Schedule
II drug (Meperidine
Hydrochloride),
maintaining a vehicle\
dwelling place for
the sale of controlled
substances;
• Linda Gail
M c C u r r y, 5 0 , o f
Pensacola Road,
Burnsville, on two
counts of possession
with intent to sell,
manufacture or deliver
a Schedule II drug
(Methadone),two
counts of possession
of a Schedule II
drug (Methadone),
two counts of sell or
deliver a Schedule II
drug (Methadone),
and two counts of
maintaining a vehicle\
dwelling place for
the sale of controlled
substances.
Asked whether the
arrest of the 81-year-

old was out of the
ordinary, Buchanan
said, “it is surprising,
but then it is not.
Saying he did not
know the details of
that particular case,
he theorized that
“often, (the elderly)
have an easier
access” to painkillers,
and “depending
on whatever their
economic situation
might be,” they might
sell prescription
drugs.”
He said the addiction
to pharmaceuticals
“tears families
apart” and that while
suspects “want to help
themselves to a point”
after they’ve been
arrested by providing
evidence against
others, “that one
supplier, they may
not want to give up”
because they rely on
that person for future
drug purchases.
What should
residents do to
help battle the drug
epidemic? Primarily,
get rid of unused
pharmacy drugs. “If
they have anything

expired, get rid of it,”
he said.
“Our residents are
pretty good about
keeping us informed,”
he said, but warning
signs they can watch
for include:
• A burning smell in
the neighborhood that
has the aroma of lye
and Coleman fuel;
• A noticable
change in someone’s
p e r s o n a l i t y, o r a
sudden changing
of friends with no
obvious reason.
“Watch for big shifts
in personality,” he
said.
Likewise, adults
who are taking care
of elderly parents
should be aware
of the drugs in the
house, especially if
someone is or was
under Hospice care.
“If you are taking
care of an elderly
parent, stay aware,”
he said. “Talk to the
pharmacist.”

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 11

Outdoors

Testing a new water filter that can go anywhere

I keep a backpack I use on those
‘special’ hunting trips where I may be
gone from home for several days in the
wilderness. In it I keep things such as
an extra fall restraint system (in case my
safety vest were to either get damaged
or get used for its purpose, I do not want
to vacate my hunt), an extra trigger
release, several food items, flashlight
and batteries, fire starter, paper maps,
and…you get the idea. It’s my survival
pack in many ways. One thing I keep
in the pack is an emergency water filter
system. The one I use filters up to 20
gallons. By my calculations, that will
get me by for close to three weeks if
something were to happen.
Why would I need a water filtration
system? One thing to keep in mind if
you were to truly be in an emergency
survival situation is you have to stay
alert and sane. Food, water, and shelter
are the necessities. While food can be
taken either by hunting or by picking
proper plants, and shelter can be made,
water is a little different. Yes, I can
find a stream in the mountains. What
I cannot do is see whether the water
is safe to drink. I can build a sill, but
the water supply can be very limited
in dry situations. And remember the
alert and sane part? If you become sick
from water-born bacteria and you are
lost or stranded, how alert and sane do
you think you will be? Hence the need
for water purification. Options include
tablets or filtration systems. I like the
filtration systems due to the number of
uses.
I was recently contacted by Ben
Seaman of Eartheasy, the official
launch partner for Lifestraw in the U.S.
Lifestraw is a water filtration system
for use by hikers, hunters, campers, and
emergency preparedness. Lifestraw was
first introduced in 2005 and accumulated
many accolades and awards for its uses
in disaster situations and third-world
sanitary conditions. Ben asked if I
would like to review the product for its

Bill Howard’s

Outdoors

U.S. launch and after a little research,
I was more than interested to test the
Lifestraw. Like I mentioned before, I
keep a water filtration system currently.
First, some technical information from
Lifestraw and Eartheasy: weighing only
2 ounces, Lifestraw can filter down to
.2 microns which includes 99.9999% of
bacteria (such as salmonella and vibrio
cholera) and 99.9% of protozoa (such as
entamoeba histolytica). It cannot filter
heavy metals or viruses or desalinate
water. Here is what I find impressive;
Lifestraw is tested to filter 250 gallons
or more! Remember, the filtration
system I have only does 20 gallons. In
other words, Lifestraw could be used to
filter water for nearly a year for a single
person in an emergency situation.
Now, there is the hype from Eartheasy
and Lifestraw. Of course, this is supposed
to be my review, which means my tests
would have to be run. Since I keep the
system for hunting, I decided to test the
Lifestraw in situations I could encounter
while on a hunting excursion.
First thing, the Lifestraw packaging is
TOUGH. I thought it would be a ‘tear
open’ type wrapper. Nope, needed a
knife. I suppose this is good to prevent
contamination prior to first use. I tried
it in regular cup of water first. When
trying to get the water through the straw,
it takes some powerful sucking initially.
Once I had water flowing though, it was
pretty easy to continue drinking. The
main reason I tried it on a regular cup of
water was to see if there was any taste
associated to the Lifestraw. Water tasted
the same whether drinking from the cup
or through the Lifestraw. Once you are
finished drinking, it is recommended to
blow back through the straw to clear the
filter. Again, this took some power.
The second part of the test was to drink
from a nearby stream. The straw worked
the same as when drinking from the cup.
I could taste the stream water. Tip: Do
not lie next to the stream bed in order to
drink; you get wet! It is recommended
to use a cup to dip into the stream or
body of water and use the Lifestraw in it

instead. Here is where my other negative
shows up. The Lifestraw has a larger
diameter than a standard plastic bottle
opening (the type that a soda or bottled
water comes in). It fits fine in the larger
diameter hiking-type bottles. I usually
use bottled water and put those in my
backpack. Remember the knife I used to
open the wrapper? It was used to simply
cut the upper portion of the water bottle
off, creating an improvised cup.
So to recap the negatives: The wrapper
is tough to open, the water tastes the
same going in as it does coming out,
and it is larger than a standard bottled
water bottle.
With that being said, the positives

A girl uses a Lifestraw to drink water from a pitcher.

completely outweigh the negatives. The
Lifestraw has been tested to a minimum
of 250 gallons, can be stored a minimum
of 3 years, and is in the same cost range
(under $20) of filtration systems that
provide much less filtration volume.
It also filters out more bacteria and
protozoa than my current system. In
fact, even the water purification tablets
did not clean the water as well as the
Lifestraw (based on research from
reading the specs on a couple of water
purification tablet bottles).
I find it as a must buy. In fact, the
Lifestraw will replace the water filtration
system I currently have. Not only is it
great for the outdoors, hiking, camping,
fishing, and hunting, it provides a great
tool for disaster relief and emergency
management.
Hey, you may want to get one for each
member of the family. It will be more
than handy during the coming Zombie
Apocalypse, and, after all, 2012 is just
around the corner.
Bill Howard is a Hunter Education
and a Bowhunter Education Instructor,
a wildlife representative and the BCRS
program chairman for the North
Carolina Bowhunters Association,
and an avid outdoorsman. He can be
reached at billhoward outdoors@gmail.
com.

Junk vehicles; any age or
condition. No title needed.
Will pick up.
828-284-7522 or 828-2847537
Qualified and caring
Caregiver/CNA wishes to
help care for your elderly
loved one and give you, the
primary caregiver, a break.
Weekend and holiday respite.

From Page 10
or bacteria, he specifically said.
“That’s how people get sick, through this
fecal-oral route,” Chapman said. “If I were
that business owner and they were (doing
this to me), I’d be concerned. not just from
a public health issue, but also because that’s
my business.”
Jeff Lovin, the general manager of French
Broad Electric Membership Corp., said
Wednesday that he hadn’t heard of the possible
problem and he deferred to Ron Chandler, the
sub-contractor with Heritage Tree who has
the contract to clear the rights-of-way. A call
to Chandler went to an answering machine
Thursday.
But Lovin did question how humans
defecating on a farm differs from “the bear,
the deer, the dogs and cats” and other animals
that might do so. “How do we know it’s those
guys” hired to clear the power line?

Asked if the utility required sub-contractors
to provide portable toilets, he replied: “We
don’t bring PortaJohns” out for that work.
Chapman said he felt such an attitude is not
one that takes into account all the issues that
arise when human waste is left where food is
grown. “There are risks that are beyond their
control,” he said. “My sense on it is, you want
to do that (deposit human waste) as far away
as possible” from agriculture areas.
And the fact that it has rained since the
feces was discovered complicates the issue,
Chapman said. “That’s a real concern,
definitely,” he said. In fact, he said the
current food illnesses traced back to Colorado
canteloupe could be described as a similar
event, and that has been blamed for at least
18 deaths nationwide. Rainfall or other “water
can definitely be a factor” that increases the
health risk. “It increases the potential that, if
there’s a pathogen, it is spread” and soaks into
the soil.
Chris Harrelson, the Food Defense
Coordinator for the State of North Carolina,
said poor practices such as those suspected by
the local farmer “are an ongoing issue,” but
that most farmers producing for the market
have good agriculture practices in place.
See Page 15

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS 13

Family

Don’t rely on an app
for good parenting

By John Rosemond
Full disclosure in
four parts: First, I am
not a tech-savvy person
Living
and never intend to
become one. Second, I
am convinced that the
with
less technology, the
better the life. Third,
the technology in my
children
life consists of a laptop,
basic cell phone, stereo
“Should children be paid for
system, DVD player,
flat-screen television, ROKU, chores like adults are paid for
and a Digital Video Recorder. the work they do?” should be
Fourth, I do not believe children answered. Ponder this: Adults are
should have cell phones until they not paid for doing housework.
are able to take full responsibility They are paid for doing work that
for them, including paying the children are prohibited, by law,
from doing. Children don’t bring
monthly bill.
I recently ran across news of income into the home—not until
technology available as “apps” they are old enough to be legally
for mobile phones and tablet employed that is, at which point
computers that entices children they should give back a certain
to do household chores. I’m percentage (I recommend 20%)
not going to list them, because of their income to the family.
I don’t want to appear to be Keep in mind that Dad and Mom
endorsing them. In fact, I am give ALL of their income back
to the family. So, to answer the
dis-endorsing them.
One of these products was previous question: No. They
named “Best Parenting App” already enjoy free room, board,
of 2011. Parents create a list transportation, medical care, and
of chores, responsibilities, and so on. That is their “payment.”
Also, when one pays or rewards
desired behavior for the child in
a
child
for chores, the impression
question and assign point values
to each. Points are then exchanged is created that if the child does
for rewards. The other programs not feel the immediate need for
are variations on the same theme the payment or reward, he is
in that they make a game out not obligated to do the chores.
of doing chores and result in And that brings us right back to
children receiving rewards for entitlement.
A child should do chores
becoming Housework Heroes.
because
his parents tell him to
This is what I call Parenting of
the Absurd. In other words, these do them, period. There should
products will enjoy great appeal, be no rewards for this other than
especially among parents who the reward of being a member
drink often of the post-1960s of a family that is blessed to live
parenting Kool-Aid. For their in a single-family dwelling that
sake, let’s break this issue down is heated in the winter, affords
protection from weather and
into digestible pieces:
First, a family is the most critters, and within which there
fundamental of social groupings. is lots of love and good food. On
The family, not the individual, is the other hand, if the child fails
the building block of a functional to do his chores, then he should
society. As such, family is the pay a price of some sort. That’s
training ground for citizenship. what happens in Real World,
Good citizenship is defined by and remember, this is all about
contribution, not entitlement. helping children learn about Real
Therefore, children should be World.
In summary, these apps are
contributing members of their
appsolutely
stupid, the antithesis
families. The most meaningful
way they can contribute is by of what “family” means.
doing their fair share of the work
Family psychologist John
that must be done to keep the
Rosemond
answers parents’
home clean, tidy, and otherwise
habitable. Are you with me so questions on his website at www.
far? If you are confused already, rosemond.com.
then there’s no point in you
reading any further.
Anyway, we have arrived at
the point where the question

Worms, your unlikely allies

By Nathan Seppa
Science News for Kids

Back in the Stone
Age, humans had to
put up with all sorts
of creepy crawlies.
Parasites - organisms
that live on or in
another organism lingered inside our
bodies, living off of
our blood. Because
internal parasites go
mostly unnoticed,
they were able to keep
living with humans.
People can survive a
long time with tiny
parasitic worms in
their intestines.
This seems like
a win-lose situation
- with humans the
losers. But scientists
now say that may
not be so. Parasitic
worms might have
something to offer
humans in return for
getting free meals and
housing. In parasites’
efforts to turn people
into friendlier hosts,
these tiny worms
have developed the
ability to tone down
the human immune
system. This system
is that invisible “sixth
sense” inside us all
that fights infections
and disease, including
parasites. The part of
the immune system
the worms really
target is inflammation.
Inflammation is
usually a good thing.
If you cut your foot,
you might notice the
area around the cut
becoming warm and
swollen. That’s a
sign of inflammation
- the immune system
sending in an army
of professional cells
and proteins to kill
germs. But too much
inflammation for too
long is not healthy.
And that’s where
parasites come in.
By releasing
chemicals that
lessen inflammation,
parasitic worms
make life easier for
themselves. And
while reducing
inflammation might
lower immunity
in some people, it
might also offer a
golden opportunity

in others to cool off an
overheated immune
system.
Many people
have immune
problems, which
i n c l u d e a l l e rg i e s
and asthma. Their
bodies generate too
much inflammation
on the skin or in the
lungs, creating a
rash, a cough or other
symptoms. Doctors
try to knock down
the inflammation with
an inhaler, pills or
whatever it takes.
Inflammation can
show up in more
serious immune
problems, too, such
as autoimmunity,
when the immune
system gets so out of
whack that it actually
causes disease
instead of curing it.
Autoimmune diseases
tend to be more severe
than allergies and
asthma, and include
rheumatoid arthritis
(affecting joints, such
as knees), multiple
sclerosis (in nerves
and muscles), Crohn’s
disease (in intestines),
psoriasis and lupus
(in skin) and the
kind of diabetes that
occurs in young kids.
In all of these cases,
the immune system
generates out-ofcontrol inflammation.
Scientists are now
trying to put parasitic
worms to work
helping people with
immune problems.
It’s hard to believe,
but doctor s have
shown that treating
patients with the live
microscopic eggs or
larvae of parasitic
worms can calm some
autoimmune diseases
without creating new
ones.
Wait a sec. Aren’t
parasites the bad

guys?
Yes and no.
L i k e a b u rg l a r
who steals from
your house but also
fixes the plumbing,
parasitic worms can
offer some benefits.
It’s true these tiny
worms can cause
anemia (a lack of red
blood cells) and more
serious conditions.
But because a parasite
gets no benefit from
bumping off its host,
the worm doesn’t do
too much damage
r i g h t a w a y. A n d
in the meantime,
its inflammationfighting routine might
come in handy.
The 20th century’s
medical advances
meant the end of most
parasites in the United
States and other highincome, developed
countries. But those
same regions also saw
increases in asthma,
allergy and many
kinds of autoimmune
diseases. Meanwhile,
parasites continue
to infect millions of
people in the tropics,
where autoimmunity
is rare and asthma
and allergy are less
common than in
wealthier, temperate
countries.
Coincidence?
Some people don’t
think so.
David Elliott,
a doctor at the
University of
Iowa in Iowa City,
noticed the increase
in autoimmune
diseases, asthma and
allergies in the United
States. Elliott says,
“We asked, ‘What’s
missing in developed
countries?’ We still
had viruses and
bacteria, but we were
missing a whole
See next page

14

Oct. 6, 2011

• yANCEY cOUNTY nEWS

Good worms?
Continued from page 13
class [of microbes] that used
to be universal.” That would be
parasites. Better sanitation and
simple changes like wearing shoes
(to keep hookworms from getting
into the skin) had put parasites out
of business in the United States
long ago.
Elliott wasn’t the only scientist
fascinated by these trends.
Researchers at the University of
Nottingham in England began
working with Ethiopian scientists
to study parasites and immune
disorders. In 2003, the team
reported finding that Ethiopian
kids with parasitic worms were
half as likely to wheeze — a
symptom related to asthma — as
were kids without the worms.
Around the same time,
Argentine scientists began tracking
24 people who had multiple
sclerosis, also known as MS.
In people with this disease, the
immune system damages nerves
that control muscles. Half of the
people in the South American
study also had a parasitic worm
infection. As part of the study,
people with the worms agreed not
to be treated for their parasites.
And just as well. Only three
of the 12 patients with worm
infections developed an MS attack
- and only one attack each - during
the next four years. The 12 MS
patients without worms suffered
a total of 56 attacks over the
same time period. These results
suggested the parasites were
fighting inflammation.
In Gabon, a country in
equatorial Africa, another study
found that school children with
a parasitic worm infection were
about half as likely to develop
an allergy to dust mites as were
kids with no parasites. Again, it
seemed these worms were keeping
inflammation at bay.
Armed with this knowledge,
some scientists decided to see
if deliberately giving parasitic
worms or their eggs to people
already sick with an autoimmune
disease would offer them any
benefit.

Cringe-worthy treatment
Elliott and his colleagues at
the University of Iowa identified
patients with ulcerative colitis, a
condition in which the intestines
become inflamed, causing pain,
diarrhea and other symptoms. The
researchers assigned patients to
get a drink every two weeks for 12
weeks. Some patients received a
drink that contained a cleaned-up
version of eggs from a parasite
called a whipworm. The team
used the kind of whipworm that
infects pigs because these worms
don’t bother people. The other
patients in the study were given
an egg-free drink.
The results weren’t spectacular,
but 13 of 30 people getting
the parasite eggs improved
substantially, compared with only
4 of 24 people who didn’t get the
eggs.
Despite the promising findings,
worm therapy isn’t a slam dunk.
A test in the European country of
Denmark found patients with hay
fever, a kind of allergy, received no
benefit from whipworm eggs given
over three weeks. Another study
at the University of Nottingham
showed that people with asthma
receiving very small doses of
hookworm larvae experienced no
benefits.
But those results haven’t
dimmed interest in parasite
therapy. Several human studies
with parasites are underway or
being planned.
Purposely taking parasitic
larvae or eggs requires some
courage, says John Fleming, a
brain doctor at the University of
Wisconsin–Madison. Fleming is
working on one of those studies
and acknowledges that “it doesn’t
seem like mainstream science at
first pass.”
Not surprisingly, some people
do find this whole idea of using
worms to treat illness a bit hard
to swallow.
“The problem with giving
people [parasitic worms] is
you’re introducing a foreign
organism, and that has the [risk] of
unforeseen consequences,” says
Derek McKay. He’s an immunesystem expert at the University of
Calgary in Canada.

But McKay is convinced that
worms can stop inflammation by
changing how the human immune
system acts. So he is trying to
find out just what those changes
are. McKay’s team has found
that parasites slow inflammation
by revving up the production of
a protein called interleukin-10,
which reduces heat and swelling.
Joel Weinstock, a researcher
at Tufts University Medical
Center in Boston who worked
on the Iowa studies, thinks that
parasites smother inflammation
by manipulating two kinds of
immune cells: dendritic cells and
macrophages. Parasites can steer
these cells away from promoting
inflammation and toward stopping
it.
The next step is to find out
which chemicals the parasites
themselves release to trigger
these changes. “Identifying these
[parasite] products,” McKay says,
“could be the blueprints for new
drugs.”
Several chemicals already have
been identified. David Elliott
says all of a parasite’s different
compounds might be necessary to
effectively halt the inflammation
caused by disease. “It’s a lot like
getting a kid to clean his room,” he

says. “You offer money, turn off
the TV, hide the video games —
then the room gets cleaned. Any
one thing won’t do it.”
Power words:
parasite: Organisms that live
on or in another organism.
immune system: A bodily
system of organs, tissues, cells
and cell products — such as
antibodies — that identifies threats
to the body and rids it of harmful
substances or organisms.
inflammation: The body’s
response to cellular injury; often
involves swelling, redness, heat
and pain.
tropics: The region near Earth’s
equator. Temperatures here are
generally warm.
temperate: Regions just above
and below the tropics. Temperate
regions have a moderate climate
with fewer temperature extremes.
microbe: An organism (such as
a bacterium) that is very tiny and
visible only with a microscope.
dendritic cell: A type of
immune system cell that initiates
the primary response to a foreign
substance.
m a c ro p h a g e : A t y p e o f
immune system cell that aids in
the destruction of foreign objects
such as bacteria.

Shane Wilson of Wilson Taxidermy got this eight-point buck in Yancey
County with a Hoyt, Viper-tech bow. He said it was a big-bodied deer for
the area, weighing 185-200 pounds. Shane can be reached at 284-9848.
His taxidermy shop is on U.S. 19W in Green Mountain.

Attorney General warns of job scams
Many North Carolinians are
looking for work - and scammers
are working hard to take advantage
of them, the attorney general’s
office says. Be skeptical of job
offers that sound too good to
be true, and always research a
company thoroughly before you
agree to accept a job.
Be especially careful if you apply
for jobs online or post your resume
on career sites. One North Carolina

consumer recently applied for a job
she found while searching the web
but the job turned out to be a scam.
The position promised a weekly
salary of $700 to serve as personal
assistant to someone overseas,
with duties to include banking and
processing orders.
Fortunately, the website where she
learned about the job figured out that
the job was fraudulent and warned
her.

and cannot wash their
hands. Pathogens can
be transmitted to the
product.
“I agree with Ben
Chapman,” Harrelson
said. “I trust his

opinion and expertise.
But I’m coming from
a retail food service
perspective. (The
farmer) would have
to sell directly to

restaurants” before
he got involved.
So what if he found
garden items in a
restaurant known
to have been grown

where humans had
d e f e c a t e d ? “ We
would not allow that
product to be prepared
or sold. We would
ask the restaurant to
voluntarily dispose
of the product. If
the owner refused
to throw it away, we
would embargo it.”
So human waste
is that dangerous?
Yes, Harrelson said.
“Human feces are
assumed to have
a certain amount
of pathogenic

From Page 12
The same applies
to any migrant
worker who uses the
bathroom in the field

TEACHER
WORK
DAY

organisms; bacteria
and virus.”
Jim Melvin, the
assistant director of
regulatory programs
with the Food & Drug
Protection Division of
the N.C. Department
of Agriculture, said
that there is “the
potential that the
cropland has been
contaminated” if the
situation is as was
explained to him, and
his department would
“embargo the field.”

Oct. 6, 2011

www.yanceycountynews.com A Yancey County farmer says a crew hired to clear powerline right of way for French Broad Electric left behind at least seven piles of human feces as they trimmed trees, possibly making the ground unfit to grow crops for the market. SEE STORY INSIDE vTo be a voice, and to allow the voices of our community to be heard.v Oct. 6, 2011 W Vol. 1, No. 39 Look inside for... cents Photo by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News Photo by Jonathan Austin/Yancey County News